Hong Kong stocks finished Friday with a flourish as investors were cheered by easing tensions in the China-US trade row while also betting on another interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve next week.
The Hang Seng Index jumped 0.98 percent, or 265.06 points, to 27,352.69.
Source : AFP

U.S. stocks closed mostly lower on Friday after easing trade tensions and central bank policy moves briefly buoyed investor sentiment earlier in the day.
The S&P 500 was down less than 0.1% to end near 3,007. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 36 points, or 0.1%, to finish around...

Oil futures finished lower on Friday, with both U.S. and international benchmark crude posting sizable weekly falls as worries about the prospect of rising inventories appeared to overshadow a U.S.-China tariff detente.
West Texas Intermediate crude for October delivery fell 24 cents, or 0.4%, to...

The data published by the US Census Bureau today revealed that retail and food services sail in August rose 0.4% on a monthly basis to $526.1 billion and beat the market expectation for an increase of 0.2%. On a yearly basis, retail sales grew by 4.1%.
Total sales for the June 2019 through August 2019 period were up 3.7% from the same period a year ago. The June 2019 to July 2019 percent change was revised from up 0.7% to up 0.8%, the publication further revealed.
The initial market reaction helped the USD recover a small portion of its recent losses and the US Dollar Index was last down 0.22% on the day at 98.15.
Source: FXStreet

The Institue for Supply Management in its latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business said that the economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded at a slower pace than expected in April with the headline PMI slumping to 52.8 from 55.3 in March and falling short of the market expectation of 55.
Assessing the data, "Comments from the panel reflect continued expanding business strength,...

In its monthly Consumer Confidence Survey, The Conference Board reported that the consumer sentiment improved to 129.2 in April from 124.2 in March.
According to the press release, both the Present Situation and the Expectation sub-indexes rose from March levels. Commenting on the data, "Overall, consumers expect the economy to continue growing at a solid pace into the summer months.
These...

China's April Caixin manufacturing PMI came in at 50.2 vs. 51.0 expected and 50.8 last, as the overall health of China's manufacturing sector improved for the second straight month.
Earlier today, the purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector arrived at 50.1 in April, down from 50.5 in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported.
Latest PMI data showed that...

The first official gauge of China's manufacturing sector fell in April, signaling that the economic stabilization seen in the first quarter remains fragile.
The manufacturing purchasing managers index stood at 50.1, down from 50.5 last month, while the non-manufacturing PMI -- a gauge of services and construction -- stood at 54.3 versus 54.8.
Economists had...

U.S. economic growth accelerated by more than expected in the first quarter on a big boost from inventories and trade that offset a slowdown in consumer spending, bolstering the expansion ahead of a major milestone.
Gross domestic product expanded at a 3.2 percent annualized rate in the January-March period, according to Commerce Department data Friday that topped all forecasts...

Orders for long-lasting durable goods posted the biggest increase in March since last summer, potentially signaling a rebound in the slower-growing industrial side of the economy.
Durable-goods orders leaped 2.7% last month, led by stronger demand for autos, planes and networking equipment , the government said Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had forecast a 0.5% increase
If cars...

According to the data published by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, housing starts in March declined by 0.3% and came below the market expectation for a growth of 6.5%. Nevertheless, the US Dollar Index didn't show a reaction with the trading volume remaining thin amid the Easter holiday.
Privatelyowned housing units authorized by building...

U.S. retail sales jumped by the most since September 2017 as gains in motor vehicles and gasoline stations boosted sales, signaling consumers are giving the economy greater support.
The value of overall sales in March rose 1.6 percent after an unrevised 0.2 percent decrease the prior month, according to Commerce Department figures released Thursday. That exceeded all forecasts in...

Hong Kong stocks finished Friday with a flourish as investors were cheered by easing tensions in the China-US trade row while also betting on another interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve next week.
The Hang Seng Index jumped 0.98 percent, or 265.06 points, to 27,352.69.
Source : AFP

U.S. stocks closed mostly lower on Friday after easing trade tensions and central bank policy moves briefly buoyed investor sentiment earlier in the day.
The S&P 500 was down less than 0.1% to end near 3,007. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 36 points, or 0.1%, to finish around...

Oil futures finished lower on Friday, with both U.S. and international benchmark crude posting sizable weekly falls as worries about the prospect of rising inventories appeared to overshadow a U.S.-China tariff detente.
West Texas Intermediate crude for October delivery fell 24 cents, or 0.4%, to...